You’re used to the cars around you honking, tailgating, and even making rude gestures at your motorcycle, but there’s nothing you can do but roll your eyes and ride on...until one of those cars gets too close for you to shrug it off.

Common Driver Behaviors That Lead to Bike Crashes on I-405

The threat of aggressive drivers isn’t enough for you to hang up your leathers. You always signal before changing lanes and keep your eyes peeled for cars that are acting strangely in the lanes around you—but these days, it’s not enough to worry about drunk drivers and truckers falling asleep behind the wheel. Any driver in any vehicle can be a potential threat to a motorcyclist, especially if he is:

Texting. Cell phone distraction is the fastest-growing cause of road accidents across the U.S. In as little as two seconds, a driver looking at a phone screen can swerve into the opposite lane, taking a biker’s motorcycle out from underneath him.

Passing. Although drivers are supposed to give motorcyclists a wide berth when passing them, many smaller cars will cut into a motorcyclist’s following distance when merging in front of him.

Speeding. Speeding cars can be dangerous near bikers even when they do not make contact with the motorcycle. As cars pass, they force a wall of wind toward the biker, making it difficult for bikers to keep control over their motorcycles.

“Buzzing.” Some drivers get dangerously close to bikers in order to “encourage” them to speed up or move over. Such behavior is not only dangerous, it can cause the loss of an arm or a leg if the car’s mirror accidentally strikes the biker.

Littering. Road debris is a huge problem on Santa Monica freeways—and much of it comes straight from the passing cars’ windows. Garbage tossed from a car can strike a biker, obscure his vision, or cause him to swerve suddenly—any one of which can result in a deadly crash.

While you know that most people have a “looking out for number one” mentality, the expressway is the worst possible place to see it in action. Selfishness on the road can easily cause injuries or death for everyone involved. If you or someone you love is struggling after a motorcycle crash, click the link on this page to order our free guide, 7 Big Mistakes to Avoid After a Motorcycle or Bicycle Accident, and find out what actions can actually hurt your case.